Can punching device



April 13, 1954 A. M DONALD CAN PUNCHING DEVICE Filed June 1, 1953 IVA /2.771.25-

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\a mm x n u 1 V- u I V Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN PUNCHING DEVICE Alexander MacDonald, Wiscasset, Maine Application June 1, 1953, Serial No. 358,741

6 Claims. (Cl. 30-6-1) This invention relates to a device for punching holes in the ends of liquid containers.

While the invention is adapted for use in the opening of any metal container used in the handling of liquids, its novel features and advantages may be conveniently illustrated in connection with domestic uses. For example, evaporated milk is used daily in many homes and these are opened by establishing two holes in an end thereof, sometimes with a can opener but more commonly with something operable as a punch.

The use of a hand yielded punch is objectionable from the standpoint of safety and is otherwise unsatisfactory because the holes cannot be located accurately enough to ensure complete drainage. There is, accordingly, a need for an easily operated can punching device that will enable the holes to be quickly, easily, and safely established with accuracy.

In accordance with the invention, these general objectives are attained by providing a can punching device which includes a can support and a head in which are mounted one and preferably two punches for movement vertically between raised inoperative positions and lowered operative positions. Each such punch includes a rack portion and in the head there are rotatably mounted a pair of intermeshing gears, each of which meshes with a corresponding one of the rack portions and one of which is driven as by means of a crank. By this construction, both racks are moved along their pathway in the same direction with substantial mechanical advantage. I

In practise, the can support includes a vertical part with which the side of a can is in engagement and this part is provided with a recess in the zone of the upper edge of the can. One of the punches has its pathway so located with reference to this part of the support and its recess that on the punching of the can, its wall is deformed into the recess thus providing a pouring spout ensuring added convenience in use.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novel features and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a can punching device in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section along the indicated lines Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the punches in their operative position.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a plate is employed that includes a vertical part 5 and laterally extending head and foot parts indicated at 6 and I, respectively. The foot part I has an upwardly disposed extremity 8 and a downwardly opening recess 9 shaped and dimensioned to provide a bottle opener. On the upper surface of the foot part I, there is a support II] for a can I I. As indicative of means for attaching the device to a wall, the vertical part 5 is shown as having a Wedge element I2 entered in a complementally shaped wall bracket I3.

A housing, generally indicated at I4, is secured to the head part 6. The housing I4 may conveniently be stamped from a piece of sheet metal to provide a Wall I5 approximately in the shape of an H having portions disposed at right angles thereto to provide a pair of vertical outer Walls 16, a pair of interrupted vertical inner walls [1, (see Figs. 2 and 4) and top and bottom walls I8 and I9, respectively. Each of the walls I S has a pair of tabs inserted through correspondingly located slots in the head part 6, said tabs being upset to connect the housing securely thereto.

. The proximate pairs of end walls I6 and I! of the thus attached housing define vertically disposed guideways for the racks 2|. and 22, each having a pointed end 23 thus to serve as a punch. Located between these guideways and the walls I 8 and I9 are a pair of intermeshing gears 24 and 25 meshing with the racks 2| and 22, respec- -tively. The shaft 25 for the gear 24 and the 2-2 of Fig. l with the punches being shown in their raised or inoperative position;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the indicated lines 3-3 of Fig. 4; and

shaft 21 for the gear '25 are suitably supported by the head part 5 and the housing wall I5 with the shaft 25 having a crank 253 secured thereto.

' It will be apparent that rotation of the crank 28 in one direction or another will cause corresponding movement of both racks in the same direction. It will be noted that the paths of the racks are such as to ensure the engagement of their punches 23 with the upper end of the can II adjacent the side thereof. The path of the punch 23 of the rack 22 is such that with the can positioned on its support I I) and against the proximate edge of the vertical part 5, the end of the can is engaged so closely to the can side wall as to deform it. For that reason, the proximate edge of the vertical part 5 is provided with a recess 29 in the zone of the upper end of the can II to enable such deformation to establish a pouring spout 30 as shown in Fig. 4. It will also be noted that the point of the spout forming punch is disposed to engage with the upper end of the can II before the other punch comes in contact therewith. This has the advantage that the spout forming deformation is ensured when said other punch has pierced the end wall of the can.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A can punching device comprising a head and a can support connected thereto and including a part engageable by the can bottom and said head including first and second punches each movable from an upper inoperative position downwardly into contact with the top of the thus positioned can, each punch including a rack portion disposed towards the other, a pair of intermeshing gears rotatably supported by said head, each gear meshing with a corresponding one of said rack portions and means to rotate one of said gears thereby to move both of said racks in the same direction.

2. A can punching device comprising a head and a can support connected thereto and including a part engageable by the can bottom and a vertical part engageable by the side thereof and including a recess in the zone of the upper end of the thus positioned can and said head including first and second punches each movable from an upper inoperative position downwardly into contact with the top of the thus positioned can, each punch including a rack portion disposed towards the other, a pair of intermeshing gears rotatably supported by said head, each gear meshing with a corresponding one of said rack portions and means to rotate one of said gears thereby to move both of said racks in the same direction, the pathway of the first punch being located to eifect the punching of the top of said can closely adjacent the zone of its contact with the vertical part of said support thus to deform the can wall into said recess to provide a pouring spout.

3. A can punching device comprising a head and a can support connected thereto and including a part engageable by the can bottom and a vertical part engageable by the side thereof and including a recess in the zone of the upper end of the thus positioned can and said head including first and second punches each movable from an upper inoperative position downwardly into contact with the top of the thus positioned can, each punch inciuding a rack portion disposed towards the other, a pair of intermeshing gears rotatably supported by said head, each gear meshing with a corresponding one of said rack portions and means to rotate one of said gears thereby to move both of said racks in the same direction, the pathway of the first punch being located to effect the punching of the top of said can closely adjacent the zone of its contact with the vertical part of said support thus to deform the can wall into said recess to provide a pouring spout, the point of said first punch being located with reference to the point of the second punch to engage with the can top in advance of the second punch.

4. A can punching device comprising a head and a can support connected thereto and including a part engageable by the can bottom and a vertical part engageable by the side thereof and including a recess in the zone of the upper end of the thus positioned can, and a punch member carried by said head for movement vertically between an upper inoperative position and a lower operative position along a pathway located to eifect the punching of the top of said can closely adjacent the zone of its contact with the vertical part of said support thus to deform the can wall into said recess to provide a pouring spout, said punch including a rack portion and a crank rotated gear carried by said head in mesh with said rack portion.

5. A can punching device comprising a plate including a vertical portion and integral and vertically spaced head and foot portions projecting therefrom, a support on said foot portion to hold a can in a predetermined position under said head portion, a housing member approximately in the form of an H and including a main wall, a pair of outer vertical walls, a pair of inner vertical walls, and top and bottom walls, proximate outer and inner vertical walls. defining with said head portion a pair of guideways, a rack slidable in each guideway including a can piercing point, a pair of intermeshing gears housed by said head portion, said main wall and said top and bottom walls, each gear meshing with a corresponding one of said racks, and a crank to rotate one of said gears.

6. A can punching device comprising a plate including a vertical portion and integral and vertically spaced head and foot portions projecting therefrom, a support on said foot portion to hold a can in a predetermined position under said head portion, a housing member approximately in the form of an H and including a main wall, a pair of outer vertical walls, a pair of inner vertical walls, and top and bottom Walls, said head portion having slots and two of said walls including tab portions disposed through said slots and upset to anchor said housing to said head portion, proximate outer and inner vertical walls defining with said head portion a pair of guideways, a rack slidable in each guideway including a can piercing point, a pair of intermeshing gears housed by said head portion, said main wall and said top and bottom walls, each gear meshing with a corresponding one of said racks, and a crank to rotate one of said gears.

No references cited. 

